Maryland moved one step closer to implementing its tougher vehicle emissions standards, as President Obama ordered a review of the federal policy preventing states from adopting stricter limits.
Obama called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to re-examine a Bush administration policy that denied California and other states the ability to set their own vehicle emission standards.
“This is a great decision,” said Tad Aburn, director of the Maryland Department of the Environment’s air and radiation management division.
“It’s wonderful they have moved this quickly.”
The federal Clean Air Act allows California to set stricter emissions standards, and other states can adopt California’s standards. Maryland is one of 14 other states to do so.
The EPA must grant a waiver for California’s emission standards, but the Bush administration had denied the so-called “California waiver” request.
When a waiver is granted, Maryland’s standards set by the Clean Cars Act of 2007 will go into effect. The standards significantly reduce emissions, including carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, in model year 2011 vehicles.
When fully implemented, the program is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 7.8 million tons per year and air toxics by 80.2 tons per year, according to the MDE.
Vehicle emissions account for about 1/10 of overall greenhouse gas reductions needed to achieve a 25 percent reduction by 2020, a goal set in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed legislation, Aburn said.
Environmentalists and officials lauded Obama’s move.
“It gives leadership states like Maryland the assurance they will be able to meet their own goals to protect the citizens,” said Derek Walker, director of the California Climate Initiative for the Environmental Defense Fund, and former head of the Maryland Democratic Party.
EPA will go through a public comment period before the decision is final, but it is expected to be a quick process, Walker said.
Environment Maryland’s State Director Brad Heavner said Maryland won’t have to delay implementation because the state law takes effect on model year 2011 cars.
“MDE has planned for this, and they are ready to go,” he said.
O’Malley said in a statement, “This is a tremendous step forward to help our nation begin to control its energy future and to address global climate change.”
Auto manufacturers have opposed a state-by-state approach, saying the multiple regulations are burdensome and inconsistent, according to the trade group Association of International Automobile Manufacturers Inc.
In response to the review of the California waiver, Dave McCurdy, president and chief executive officer of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents 11 companies including Chrysler and Ford, said in a statement, “The Alliance supports a nationwide program that bridges state and federal concerns and moves all stakeholders forward, and we are ready to work with the administration on developing a national approach.”
